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Just in time part 4
‘I quite understand the situation you are in’, David said as they approached her house, ‘The situation as you have described it is quite difficult. But I wish you did not have to leave your parents’ home on a sour note. If I make a suggestion, I would ask you to wait for just a few days, and try not to react to any provocation. If the situation gets worse, then of course you can leave.’ ‘Well, I agree with you. I will take your suggestion. Hopefully, they will leave me alone to make my own decisions. ‘Esaaba, I have never forgotten about you. Is it possible for us to start our uncompleted project?’ ‘You have a way with words, David. Uncompleted project. Well, I have told you my current status. If you don’t have any skeletons hiding in your cupboard in Denmark or in your hometown, then I am ready to listen to what you have to say.’ ‘I made friends and went out with a couple of ladies, but I never entered into any commitments, and I don’t have any cupboards anywhere. Maybe you and I will buy some cupboards, and store some interesting things’. ‘You did not tell me where you are working.’ ‘Ah. I was offered a position here at the local office of Eurofood, the company that gave me the scholarship. And I have been penciled in for some teaching at the Department, so hopefully I will be seeing you often.’
Esaaba went back to her room a much different person. She sat on her bed again, and this time she wiped her mental slate clean, and said a quiet prayer asking God to confirm if this is the relationship He planned for her. She felt thankful that she was able to forgive her parents and Beesiwa for treating her so badly. They certainly meant well, but they certainly went too far to have tried to force a husband on her. She enjoyed a deep sleep and woke up well rested.
Soon as she had arrived at work the following morning, Marian called, and wasted no time to ask questions. ‘Esaaba, so what happened yesterday after I left the two of you alone? Esaaba broke into uncontrolled laughter. ‘Ei, Esaaba’, Marian continued. ‘See how you are happy. You can’t even talk. David will have to pay for this.’ ‘You did well, Marian. We had a great evening, and we will be seeing each other.’ ‘I’m happy for you two. I pray that everything goes well. David is a great guy, and I’m happy you found each other at last.
Esaaba saw notification of a message from Stanley Forson, and she opened it. It was short and not friendly. ‘Good morning. Now that I have told you about the circumstances under which I made the marriage proposal and gave you the ring, I withdraw the proposal, and would like you to return the ring to my parents. Thank you’. Esaaba’s reply was also short, but polite. Thanks for your note, Stanley. I agree that my parents were wrong to have bullied you into making the proposal. I am very sorry for the inconvenience. I will return the ring to your parents’ home this evening. I will call them now and inform them. Thank you’. Stanley replied, to her surprise. ‘On second thoughts, please don’t call them. Just wait till I tell you what to do with it.’ ‘I’m sorry Stanley. After the insulting messages you sent me, I don’t want to keep anything of yours. I don’t need to call your parents. I will send it to them now.’ ‘Can you please wait, even if for a few days, Esaaba? I’m really sorry. You are a really nice lady, and beautiful. I have had too much to contend with since coming to Handover. If you will kindly give me a little time, I will clear my head, and we can restart. I think we have the basis for a really good relationship’. Esaaba replied after an hour. ‘Stanley, your ring is on its way to your dad. It should be there in a few minutes. Sorry, I cannot wait. I’ve put your indecision and your insults behind me. I wish you the best’.
Soon after she sent the message to Stanley, Baaba called. Esaaba answered, ready to exchange verbal blows with her sister. But to her surprise, her tone was much different.’ ‘Big sis, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. Mom and Dad should never have done what they did, and I should not have supported them. Please forgive me. I am truly sorry. I called them a couple of minutes ago, and they are very sorry. They are really afraid that you will carry out your threat to leave the house, and I want to plead with you, don’t leave. They have promised never to interfere in your relationship issues again. Please!
‘Don’t worry Beesiwa. I’ve put it all behind me. I’ve forgotten it all. No hard feelings. I’ve turned the page.’ ‘Really? What happened? What has changed so suddenly?’ ‘I will tell you everything later, but I have a visitor now. Let’s talk later. Esaaba looked up and said hello to David. ‘Good to see you, David. I wasn’t expecting to see you’. ‘Well, after what we discussed last night, I thought I should come and see you, and if possible, take the discussion a little further’. ‘Thanks David. If you will give me a few minutes, I will make a few arrangements, then I can go out for an hour’. ‘No, I will go to the Department and wait till lunch time, then I will come and pick you for lunch. If it’s okay with you’. ‘Yes, certainly. I will be waiting.’
David and Esaaba were inseparable from then, and after some month’s courtship, he proposed. Esaaba gladly accepted. ‘You came at just the right time, David. I had just had a bad quarrel with my parents and my sister, and was about to leave home’. ‘You were saved by the bell’, David said. But perhaps it was just the right time for us to meet.’
By Ekow de Heer
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
